In an interview in the January issue of Esquire magazine, Cryer opens up about the experience of seeing his co-star ousted, and ultimately replaced by Ashton Kutcher. The drama took place after Sheen had a public meltdown last spring, during which he verbally attacked “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre and unveiled a harem of girlfriends who he referred to as his “goddesses.”

“I believe when they decided to bring in another actor it saved Charlie’s life,” explains Cryer. “It must’ve been a huge wake-up call for him. If it helps his life in any way, thank God, because I always liked the guy and he never, ever, did me wrong.”

Cryer maintains that while he and Sheen had a good working relationship on the show, they weren’t friends.

“Charlie is a very functional guy,” says Cryer. “He always nailed his takes — often in less time than everybody else. He was prepared, and a very warm guy. We didn’t hang out, really, because at the end of the day I was tired and I’d go home to sleep. That was the beginning of the day for him.”

Lorre spoke out about the situation this week as well, echoing the sentiment that replacing Sheen was vital for the actor’s health.

“You can’t do that much cocaine and work.” Lorre told TV Guide. “I didn’t want to be writing a sitcom while my friend died. Or worse, hurt someone else. We couldn’t be complacent. There was a tragedy unfolding right in front of us. There was violence and blackouts. On a certain level, if you’re looking the other way, you’re responsible.”